Moon Dust
by duncundog
Summary: When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. Master Macarov knows her, but according to him she's dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild facing danger on all sides, it now seems that this girl isn't quite who she says she is. (*FULL, BETTER DESCRIPTION INSIDE!*)
1. Chapter 1 - The Sister She'd Lost

**Moon Dust - A Fairy Tail Fanfic**

**Author - duncundog**

**Summary - When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. She claims to be innocent, but yet she refuses to tell anyone about her past. Master Macarov knows her, but according to him, she's supposed to be dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild being threatened from all sides, it seems that their newest member isn't quite the person they thought her to be, and they could pay gravely for their mistake.**

**Author's Notes**

Normal Story

'_Character Thoughts'_

_**Memories**_

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings (No hints for the future!) - N/A**

**Chapter 1 - The Sister She'd Lost**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Fairy Tail (sadly), and it is actually owned by Hiro Mashima (That lucky guy and his amazing imagination!)**

* * *

"Good morning!" Lucy called, waving cheerfully as she walked into the Fairy Tail guild hall.

"Good Morning, Lucy!" called back Mira Jane, Fairy Tail's resident celebrity model, as well as the kindest person you might ever possibly meet.

Lucy sat down at the bar, righting her dark blue skirt beneath her. Getting comfortable in the wooden barstool, she turned back to the white-haired beauty in front of her.

"So, what can I get you today, Lucy?" Mira asked kindly, leaning casually on the smooth bar top.

Lucy grinned, her blond hair shimmering lightly in the dim lights of the guild. "One of Mira Jane's famous strawberry milkshakes, please!"

Mira giggled, and then nodded. "Sure thing, Lucy!" Turning, the barmaid then left to go prepare her guild mate's drink. A moment later she came back in with said milkshake in her hand, placing it gently in front of Lucy.

"Thanks, Mira!" Lucy exclaimed, taking the drink in one hand and using the other to place a few jewel down on the table in front of her friend.

"No problem, Lucy!" Mira replied, sliding the money off of the table and placing it in a box behind the counter.

"LUUUUUUCCCCCEEEEEE!" an annoyingly familiar voice whined from behind the young mage. Sighing, Lucy then turned to meet the face of a pink haired dragon-slayer she knew all too well.

"What now, Natsu?" she sighed, sipping tediously at her drink through the conveniently provided straw.

"I'm bored!" he whined. "Let's go on a job!"

She sighed, and then shook her head. "Nah, I don't feel like it. Besides, we just took one a couple days ago."

"Awwwwww!" he whined again, sticking out his lip in a pouting manner. She just ignored him though.

"Come on, Luce! Please?" he begged.

"No," she replied curtly, closing her eyes and turning away from him to show her disinterest.

"Humph, fine then, whatever. I'll just ask Ice Queen or Lisanna to go with me," he pouted grumpily.

"I heard that!" said ice mage shouted from across the guild.

Natsu whipped around angrily, his fists aflame. "Yeah, I know that, Droopy-eyes! You were supposed to!"

"Why you-!" Gray shouted, standing up from his seat beside Cana and marching over to the dragon-slayer. "I'll freeze you, Flame-brain!"

"Yeah, right! I'd like to see you try!" Natsu retorted, shouting rather angrily.

Suddenly a hand was placed on each boy's shoulder, causing them to pause in their not yet started fight, a look of terror and fear crossing their faces.

"Boys, you wouldn't be trying to start a fight now, would you?" a scarily calm female voice asked lightly, a hint of malice creeping into her tone.

Both boys turned simultaneously to see the scarlet-haired girl standing behind them. "N-no 'mam!" they shouted quickly, sweat practically dripping from their brows in pure terror.

She nodded in satisfaction, replying, "Good," before heading back to her table to resume eating a slice of strawberry cheesecake. Both boys sighed in relief, and Lucy couldn't help but giggle at their obvious fear of the armored girl, not that she could blame them, she scared her too.

"Ugh, that woman is a she-devil," Gray muttered, slumping into the seat next to Lucy.

"It's your own fault for provoking her," she pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, resting his forehead against the bar in an obvious act of exhaustion.

"Ice?" Mira asked, smiling as she walked by with a tray of now empty tankards. Gray just nodded in reply and she walked off again, saying one last thing as she exited. "Gray, your clothes."

"Wha-? Ah!" Gray shouted, jumping up instantly as he rushed to grab his clothes from wherever they'd disappeared off to. Lucy just laughed at the ice mage's antics.

* * *

'_Where am I? I don't remember how I got here. Is that blood? Is that my blood? I don't know. I don't think I care either. Do I care? No, I don't believe so.'_

Sighing, the girl looked down at her hand, blankly staring at the fresh blood that dripped from her dirtied palm. Her eyes were glazed, and her face a blank and expressionless façade. She felt no emotion, she wasn't even sure if she knew how. Did she? She couldn't remember. The last… the last thing she remembered…

_ 'The last thing I remember… is Wendy. She left… to go to the guild. What was its name? Cat Shelter? No, Cait Shelter, I remember it now. Then what about him? If Wendy went to her new guild, then where did he go?' _She racked her brain for memories, picturing the older boy in her mind. _'That's right; he left too, before Wendy did. He said he wanted to be stronger, even though he was already so strong. The Master was so sad to see him go.'_

The girl sighed again, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree she'd decided to rest under. She had no idea of where she was, how she got there, or what had happened to her. She had just suddenly woken up, almost as if she were in a daze, and found herself in a strange forest.

_ 'How long was I out? Days, weeks, months, years? I certainly don't remember being this tall, and my hair looks a little longer than I remember too. What was I doing? I remember Wendy leaving, then speaking with the Master, and then… oh no.'_

The girl shot up from her seat on the ground, ignoring the sharp line of pain that raced through her aching body as she did so. Glancing around, as if looking for someone, she quickly began to stumble her way through the woods.

_ 'Black Water.'_

* * *

Wendy Marvell sighed, leaning her cheek against her hand. Today marked the eighth anniversary of her leaving the Master. She missed everyone: her brother, her sister, her master, Grandeeney. It had been so long since she'd seen any of them. She could hardly believe all of what had happened since she had joined Fairy Tail. She'd just been so caught up in all of their crazy antics that she'd hardly had any time to think of her family. Now that she finally had a moment to herself though, she couldn't help but remember all the times that they had spent together. It brought a small smile to her face.

"Wendy?" a voice asked in an inquiring way from beside her. Turning her head, the blue-haired dragon-slayer saw Charle, her exceed, standing on the bench beside her.

"Yes?" she asked.

Charle sighed, and then asked, "You're thinking about them again, aren't you?"

Wendy looked away, and then silently nodded. The exceed sighed again, and then hopped up onto the table, sitting in front of her.

"Wendy, dear, you should just go visit them if you miss them so much," she suggested gently.

Wendy sighed, slumping further onto the table and placing her head in her folded arms. "I would, but I can't. Brother is gone, Grandeeney is gone, I have no clue where sister is, and Master is…" she trailed off there, allowing a small sob to escape her throat.

Charle patted the girl's back reassuringly, her eyes softening as she looked down at the young dragon-slayer. "There, there, it's alright."

Wendy glanced up through her long blue hair, nodding as tears silently slipped from her big brown eyes. She was about to say something when the loud sound of the guild doors slamming open interrupted her.

* * *

_ 'What the hell?! Cait Shelter is disbanded! Urgh, of course it is! It looks like it's been down for awhile too. Damn it, this must have been a long lapse if I've really been gone this long. Damn it, damn it, damn it!'_

The girl ran down the road, silently cursing herself for having been out of it for so long. She had no idea how long she had been 'chasing butterflies' as her master called it, but however long it had been, it most certainly was more than a year. _'My previous record was a few months,'_ she mused silently.

Coming to a stop at the top of a rather large hill, she looked down at the great town below her. Magnolia, she was sure of it. She may have been out of it for awhile, but her mind was still sharp and her sense of direction keen. She could find her way to Clover Town, Freesia, Oak Town, and back without a hitch. Not that her body was in any condition to make such a ridiculous expedition.

_ 'Wendy had better be there. I'd heard someone mention a dragon-slayer at this guild, so I can only hope it's her. How many dragon-slayers could there really be, after all? There's Natsu Dragneel, Gajeel Redfox, Sting Eucliffe, Rogue Cheney, and I guess Laxus Dreynar too. What's the chance that this guild could actually have more than one of the six?'_

Racing down the hill, she sped her way into the town of Magnolia. Ignoring strange looks that were thrown her way, she passed through the large crowds of civilians, pushing her way through the town. She had no idea exactly where the guild was. Sure, she knew a lot about the guild itself, but that didn't mean that she knew its exact coordinates.

Sighing, she continued to push forward, ignoring the now nearly unbearable pain that shot through her body. Her head ached, and she felt fairly sure that one of her ribs was broken, or at least fractured. Wiping a smear of blood from her forehead, she glanced down at her beaten shoes. The soles were practically gone, and the laces were torn and frayed. Stopping for a moment, she tore them off, tossing them to the side. All they were doing was slowing her down. So taking off again, she continued at a slightly faster pace, breathing heavily through her mouth.

Finally spotting the telltale sign hanging above the guild doors, she gave one last burst of speed, racing over to the old wooden doorway. Hardly pausing in her rapid speed, she threw open the doors, watching as light flooded into the room beyond.

* * *

Wendy looked up, blinking as light flooded in through the now open doors. The sun was just setting, casting an eerie light from behind the figure that stood in the door. She blinked, trying to make out its features, but she just couldn't.

"Wendy…" a female voice muttered, before the girl standing in the open doorway fell forward onto the ground, her consciousness quickly slipping away.

Wendy gasped, standing to stare at the girl. She had shoulder-length light blond hair, lighter than Lucy's, which was tangled and matted from a lack of cleaning and brushing. She wore a simple gray shirt and brown trousers that barely reached past her knees, tied off with light brown strings around the now frayed hem. Blood was smeared across her forehead, and dirt adorned her pale face. Judging from her appearance, it was also obvious that she was greatly injured.

"SISTER!" she screamed.

* * *

**A/N - Great place to leave off with, right? X3 Anyways, I hope you liked it! This is actually a little weird for me because this is a story that I started earlier and ended up rewriting. I felt like I was leaving too much out of the story that was important, and speeding through events and character relationships a little too fast. I don't know; it just wasn't working for me. So 77 pages (that's 26,740 words) into the story, I decided to rewrite it! X3 My brothers thought I was crazy when I said that I was rewriting it, but honestly, the way it was going I just don't think I could have saved it. I mean, Wendy hadn't even appeared yet, and now she's in the first chapter!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading! Please review, I'd really love to hear from you guys! Helpful criticism is accepted, not rude remarks! Those will be ignored! I also will reply to your guys comments (unless I deem them too rude or inappropriate) so yes, I do read these kinds of things.**

**Okay, so bye! See you all next chapter! :3**

**Word count: 1839**

**(I am going to keep track of word count for my own advantage. I'm hoping to try and make it longer each time. And no, it does NOT include Author's Notes.)**

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings - N/A**

**Characters that appeared in this chapter:**

**Lucy**

**Natsu**

**Gray**

**Mira**

**Erza**

**Wendy**

**Charle (Is that how you spell her name? Everybody spells it differently!)**

**Mystery Girl?/'Sister'**

**(By Name)**

**Gajeel**

**Rogue**

**Sting**

**Laxus**

'**Master'**

'**Brother'**

**(Again, this is kind of for my own advantage, but it might help you guys too, so you can kind of keep track in your head. :3)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Seven Years and A Day

**Moon Dust - A Fairy Tail Fanfic**

**Author - duncundog**

**Summary - When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. She claims to be innocent, but yet she refuses to tell anyone about her past. Master Macarov knows her, but according to him, she's supposed to be dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild being threatened from all sides, it seems that their newest member isn't quite the person they thought her to be, and they could pay gravely for their mistake.**

**Author's Notes**

Normal Story

'_Character Thoughts'_

_**Memories**_

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings (No hints for the future!) - N/A**

**Chapter 2 - Seven Years and A Day**

**Disclaimer - I do NOT own Fairy Tail (sadly), and it is actually owned by Hiro Mashima (That lucky guy and his amazing imagination!)**

* * *

"SISTER!" she screamed.

Running across the room, Wendy dropped to her knees beside the fallen girl, tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly grabbed the girl's wrist, feeling for a pulse. Sighing in relief as she felt the familiar thud-bump of a heart beat, she turned to yell to her fellow guild mates.

"Somebody get her to the infirmary! She needs treatment, now!" she commanded, the look in her eyes daring anyone to challenge her.

"Right!" Mira exclaimed, running off to get a first-aid kit. Elfman then picked up the girl's limp body and headed for the infirmary.

Still crying, Wendy stood up and raced after the giant take-over mage. She was followed quickly by a very concerned looking Charle, and a confused Lucy.

"Wendy?" Lucy asked gently as she entered into the infirmary behind her two guild mates.

"Lucy, could you go get her a glass of water? She'll need it for when she wakes up. Tell Erza to come in here too," Wendy spoke seriously, ignoring Lucy's unspoken question.

"Uh, right," Lucy replied, turning to run out of the room and do as she was told.

Sighing, Wendy dismissed Elfman and looked back down at the girl in front of her. Running a set of fingers through her long blue hair she stared at the face of her long lost friend.

_ 'Why now, after eight years, have you finally appeared?'_

* * *

Erza stood in the Master's office, explaining to him the interruption of the strange blond-haired girl, and how she had collapsed in the guild doors. He nodded occasionally, showing that he was listening. After a moment he hummed in recognition of the story, then stood from where he sat on top of his desk.

"Come, show me her," he said briefly as he jumped off of his wooden desk and to the floor below it.

Erza nodded, then turned to head for the door, her scarlet hair flying behind her. Just as she reached for the knob though, it suddenly turned and the door opened to reveal a panting blonde.

"Lucy?" she asked, allowing a little surprise to be expressed on her face.

"Wendy… said for… you to go… to go to the infirmary," the blond haired girl panted, leaning against the doorframe in exhaustion. It looked like she had been running around quite a bit.

Erza nodded, replying, "I was just on my way there. Are you coming?"

Finally catching back her breath, the blonde nodded, then headed over towards the infirmary with Erza and Master Macarov at her heels.

* * *

Wendy sniffled a little, trying to calm herself from her tears. Charle patted a paw against her back in reassurance, and she gave the exceed a grateful smile. A moment later she heard footsteps beginning to echo down the hall, and so wiping away any remaining tears, she turned to greet the newcomers just as they opened the door.

"Wendy, you asked for me?" Erza spoke first as she entered the room, Lucy and Master Macarov just behind her.

"Yes, I did-" the young girl was cut off as a loud yelp of surprise escaped the Master's mouth.

"PRESTON?!" he shouted in surprise, his eyes widening as he examined the unconscious girl lying in the infirmary bed.

Wendy cocked her head, giving the master a curious look. "Master, you know Preston?"

"Preston?" Lucy echoed, putting her finger to her lower lip in a thoughtful way.

"Wendy, I assume you know this girl as well?" Erza suggested calmly.

The blue-haired girl nodded, glancing down at the girl in what seemed to the others as admiration. "She's my big sister."

"WHAT?!" Master Macarov shouted again, obviously shocked by Wendy's revelation.

"Shhh!" Wendy hissed, glancing pointedly at the sleeping girl behind them.

"Right, sorry," he replied quickly. "But what do you mean you're her sister? Last time I checked, she had no siblings."

"Well we're not really siblings, but we do care about each other and we grew up together too, so we always call each other that," Wendy explained.

"Okay, I'm lost," Lucy declared suddenly, reminding the rest of them that she was still in the room. "Who is she?"

"Yes, I would like to know that too," Erza added, crossing her arms across her chest.

Master Macarov sighed, glancing at Wendy before turning to the two other females in the room. "Her name is Preston Majoras. Her father was a good friend of mine."

"'Was'?" Erza repeated, raising an eyebrow in question.

He nodded sadly, replying, "Yes, was. About sixteen years ago he died. Their house was burnt down, and his body discovered later."

"Oh no!" Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

He nodded. "Yes, I know. The one thing that truly confuses me though is how on Earthland she got here."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked carefully.

He looked up, his expression suddenly dark and almost frightening. "Preston was in the fire too, and by the time it was put out, her body had disappeared. She hasn't been seen since."

Lucy gasped again, and even Erza looked shocked. "But you said that was sixteen years ago!" she said in surprise.

He nodded. "I know, and that's why it leaves me so miffed. Last time I saw her she was only nine years old. The council did search for her body, but when it couldn't be found, they simply declared her dead. I would have never dreamed in a million years that she would someday show up at the doors of my own guild, alive and well, or as well as she could be with those injuries." He turned his attention to Wendy now, watching as the young girl suddenly averted her eyes to the floorboards below her. "However, I am now wondering exactly how it is that Wendy here knows her?"

Wendy remained silent, and the other three couldn't help but stare at her as she ignored them. Sighing, Master Macarov realized that he wouldn't be getting anything out of her.

"Alright, let's leave. Wendy here needs to attend to her wounds, so we might as well leave her to do so," he said, turning to exit the room.

"Wendy, do you still want me to stay?" Erza asked the young girl. She simply nodded her head in reply, her back turned to the scarlet-haired mage. Lucy nodded towards her friend before following the master out, shutting the door behind her.

Sighing, Erza leaned against the wall and watched as the young dragon-slayer began to dress the injured girl's wounds. This was all beginning to seem suspicious to her.

* * *

_** "Where do you think that you're going?"**_

_** Preston turned to see a woman with long blond hair and flashing silver eyes standing before her. She scowled, glaring at the older female.**_

_** "Away from here! I'm sick of this place!" she shouted, her dark red eyes challenging her to try and stop her.**_

_** The woman just snickered, a chilling laugh that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.**_

_** "What was that? You do realize that you can't leave here right?" The woman smiled now, her lips stretching into a sadistic grin. "I own you and your little team, and you will continue your service until the day each of you dies."**_

_** Preston scowled again, turning to run away from the woman, but was stopped when a blast of energy suddenly hit her back, sending her vision fading into darkness…**_

* * *

_** "Goodbye, Preston-nee!" Wendy laughed, waving towards her older sister.**_

_** Waving back, Preston called, "Good luck, Wendy!"**_

_** Smiling, Preston then continued to watch the girl's fading figure until she could no longer see her, then turned to run back into the woods that surrounded the small dirt road, ducking into the shadows before anybody could possibly come around and spot her. She had to get back to the Master now and help him with cleaning the hut.**_

* * *

_** "Ah!"**_

_** Falling back a step, Preston glared up at the bastard who'd hit her. Throwing out a punch of her own, she was suddenly interrupted when a blast of magic hit her from the side. Grunting, she turned to seek out the wizard who had hit her, but was unable to due to the many mages that surrounded her.**_

_** "Damn it," she muttered, wiping some blood away from her lip.**_

_** Suddenly a woman stepped out from the shadows, a sick smile tugging at the corners of her light pink lips.**_

_** "Preston, you might as well give in," she spoke in an almost amused tone. It sickened Preston to the stomach.**_

_** Blowing a strand of light blond hair from her eyes, she glared at the older woman. The woman only laughed though, shaking her head at the almost pathetic scene.**_

_** "When did you become so weak, Preston? I thought you used to brag that you could take on anyone at anytime," she snickered.**_

_** Preston glared at her, spitting out her words as if they were venom in her mouth. "That was before you turned around and had your entire guild attack me!"**_

_** The woman smirked. "Oh dear, Preston. You really ought to know by now that you simply can't mess with me." She raised her hand and pointed it at Preston. "You will forever belong to me. You will forever belong to Black Water." Then the magic hit her, and everything faded.**_

* * *

Preston woke up with a start, sitting straight up in bed. She looked around her, mentally panicking as she realized that she did not recognize the room at all. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was covered in bandages and sitting up in a bed of some sort. Quickly throwing the blankets off of her, she then attempted to climb out of the bed, hoping to escape the room as quickly as possible.

"Erza! Pin her down, now!" a voice shouted.

Preston looked up in surprise, not realizing that there had been other people in the room with her. Before she could react though, a pair of surprisingly strong arms had pinned her to the bed.

"Let me go!" she screamed in a voice hoarse from long periods of misuse. The hands didn't release her though, and instead only tightened their grip.

"Preston, please, calm down," a voice spoke soothingly beside her, "It's alright, we're not going to hurt you."

Looking over, Preston saw a young girl with long blue hair, probably in her teens. The girl gave her a reassuring smile, and she felt her eyes begin to water up.

"Wendy?"

The girl's smile widened to a grin as she nodded. "Yes, Preston-nee, it's me."

Preston was silent for a moment, and then she began to cry. Feeling the arms release her from their deadly grip, she immediately sat up and wrapped the younger girl in a hug.

"I was so worried about you," she sobbed, holding the girl close.

Hugging the blond-haired girl back, Wendy smiled. "Me too. You were gone for so long."

Preston nodded, wiping a few stray tears away from her eyes. "Yeah, I guess I was. The last thing I remember was you leaving to join Cait Shelter."

Wendy gaped, staring at the girl with wide, unblinking eyes. "Cait Shelter? B-but that guild disbanded years ago! I've been here at fairy Tail for nearly eight years now! Well, technically."

"What?!" the blond-haired girl shrieked, her crimson eyes widening. "I was out for seven years?!"

"Well, I guess it's a new record?" Wendy laughed nervously.

"Ugh," Preston groaned, lying back onto the pillows. "Great. I just lost seven years of my life."

There was a cough heard from across the room, and Preston turned to see a girl with long scarlet hair standing in the corner. Stepping forward, the girl began to speak to her.

"Hello, my name is Erza Scarlet. It's nice to meet you."

* * *

**A/N - Before I begin (Because if I put this at the bottom nobody will read it), I would really like to thank everyone who read the first chapter, and especially PalominoGirl and Kintoki Kin, who both followed my story, so thank you both so much! I love you! 3**

**Okay, now the real Author's Note. Did you guys like it? :3 I actually thought that this chapter was a little boring, but we kind of need a little more background info before we can really get into the main part of the story, so sorry. It will pick up though, so don't worry! Oh, and sorry if that part in the middle there confused you. Basically, while Preston was unconscious she was seeing some of her memories. Those memories will be explained more further on in the story, so don't worry if they seem a little confusing now! Also, for some reason the lines I put to divide different points of view or whatever didn't publish on the last chapter? I tried a different divider this time, so hopefully it will work, and I just fixed the last chapter, so it should be good now, k? Oh, and I promise every Author's Note won't be this long, it's just going to be like this for the first few chapters until I feel like the story will start to get a little easier to understand. :3 For now it has a lot of explaining that needs to come with it. X3**

**Well thanks for reading! Review please! Helpful criticism is accepted, not rude remarks, those will be ignored! I also will reply to your guys comments (unless I deem them too rude or inappropriate) so yes, I do read these kind of things.**

**I love you all, and I will see you in the next chapter! :3**

**Word Count: 1973**

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings - N/A**

**Characters who appeared in this chapter:**

**Preston**

**Wendy**

**Erza**

**Lucy**

**Master Macarov**

**Charle**

**Elfman**

**Mira**

**(By Name)**

'**Master'**

'**Woman'**

'**Preston's Father'**


	3. Chapter 3 - Bandages, Tears, and Names

**Moon Dust - A Fairy Tail Fanfic**

**Author - duncundog**

**Summary - When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. She claims to be innocent, but yet she refuses to tell anyone about her past. Master Macarov knows her, but according to him, she's supposed to be dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild being threatened from all sides, it seems that their newest member isn't quite the person they thought her to be, and they could pay gravely for their mistake.**

**Author's Notes**

Normal Story

'_Character Thoughts'_

_**Memories**_

"__emphasis in a sentence__"

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings (No hints for the future!) - N/A**

**Chapter 3 - Bandages, Tears, Names, and Fire**

**Disclaimer - I STILL do not own Fairy Tail (damn it!), and it is actually owned by Hiro Mashima (Lucky guy! I'd pay for his imagination!)**

* * *

"Hello, my name is Erza Scarlet. It's nice to meet you."

Preston looked up at the scarlet haired girl standing before her. Her dark brown eyes stared back in a cold, almost threatening glare.

"Uh, it's nice to meet you too," the blonde replied, running a hand through her tangled hair.

"So, would you mind explaining what happened to you, Ms. Majoras?" the woman asked in a formal tone of voice. _'Wait, how did she know my last name? Maybe Wendy told her.'_

"I-I don't know," she admitted, although a little reluctantly.

Now Wendy spoke, leaning forward to look into her older sister's downcast eyes.

"What do you mean, sis?" she asked.

Preston sighed, closing her crimson eyes in an attempt to avoid looking into Wendy's own brown ones.

"I'm not sure. I just… forgot," she replied, shifting uncomfortably in the bed.

Erza frowned, taking in the girl's words. It was obvious she wasn't telling her the whole truth, but she knew that she'd get nowhere by pushing her luck.

"Alright, well I'll leave you two alone for now. Call me if you need anything," she said, waving as she exited the room.

"Okay! Thanks, Erza!" Wendy called as the door shut behind the older girl. She then turned to look at her sister. "Preston?"

"It was Black Water," she muttered almost immediately, her crimson eyes fixated on the bed sheets that covered her legs, her fists clenching on her lap.

Wendy's eyes widened and she quickly covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh no! What happened? Don't tell me they found you!"

Preston sighed, closing her eyes and picturing the dreaded woman she hated so much in her mind. "Yeah, they did."

"What happened?! How did they catch you?!" she exclaimed, standing up and clenching her own fists at her sides.

"Wendy, calm down," the blond haired girl spoke softly, placing a hand on the younger girl's arm. "It's fine, I'm alright."

"How could you say that?!" the blunette screamed, tears filling her angry eyes. "Look at yourself! You're hurt, and badly too! What if they had killed you?! Then what! What would we do! How would I tell big brother!" Salty tears were now streaming down the small girl's cheeks, and her body shook in frustration and sadness.

Preston reached out, taking the girl in both her arms and pulling her to the bed beside her. Hugging the crying girl to her chest, she smoothed out her long blue hair with a hand and whispered reassuring words.

"Wendy, it's alright," she whispered. "Please don't cry. I'm fine, see? There's no need to cry."

Wendy continued to cry for another minute before her sobs began to reduce to whimpers, then sniffles. Finally, she sat up and wiped away the tears from her reddened eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

Preston shook her head. "Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong."

Wendy smiled, and the older girl smiled back. After a moment, Preston spoke up again.

"So… you said we were in Fairy Tail?" she asked tentatively.

Wendy nodded, still sniffling a little. "Yeah, we are. I'm guessing that you didn't notice?" The young girl couldn't help but giggle.

Preston laughed too. "Yeah, you know how I am."

Wendy nodded, giving her sister a wide grin. Then adopting a curious look, she tilted her head in questioning. "So, do you know Master Macarov? He seemed to recognize you."

Preston nearly jumped in surprise before calming herself and replying, "Yeah, I do. I forgot, he's the master of this guild, right? Man, he must be getting old."

Wendy chuckled a little. "Yeah, I guess he is."

Preston smiled, then yawned, raising her arms over her head as she stretched. "Well, what do you say we get outta here? This room is so dull. Plus, I wanna see the guild! I've gotta make sure this is a good place for my little sis to be spending her time, although I'm sure it's fine if Macarov and Laxus are here. I am assuming that Laxus is here?" She raised an eyebrow at the younger girl in questioning.

"Yes, he is, but you really shouldn't be moving. You were hurt pretty badly and you should really be resting," Wendy replied, worry creasing her brow as she watched the blonde throw off the blankets and swing her legs over the side of the bed.

Preston turned to her, winking and casting her a smirk. "I'm fine. Come on, Wendy, you know me. Since when has a few scratches ever stopped me?"

_ 'A few scratches?'_ Wendy thought. _'You're covered head to toe in bandages and scars, not to mention the fact that you passed out after running the whole way here with more than one broken bone and a twisted ankle.'_ She then sighed. _'Then again, knowing you, even death wouldn't stop you from doing what you want to.'_

"Fine, but be careful, okay?" she asked, allowing some of her worry to seep into her voice.

Preston grinned, placing a bandaged hand on the young girl's head. "Yeah, sure thing mom."

Wendy laughed, swatting away her sister's hand. "Stop it!"

Preston laughed. "You're so easy to tease."

The blunette just puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms over chest and pouting. "Whatever."

Preston laughed again, heading for the door. "Alright, well let's see what this guild of yours is like!"

* * *

Lucy sighed, sinking into her seat. Behind her she could hear Natsu and Gray fighting, and Erza sat across from her at the table, devouring a piece of cake as always. There was a loud crash, and she rolled her eyes, assuming that it was most likely either Natsu or Gray breaking something, or both. She was surprised, though, when she then heard a voice.

"Hello, Fairy Tail!"

She looked up to see a girl covered in bandages who had crimson red eyes and light-blond hair that barely reached her shoulders. A wide grin adorned her scratched face, and she held one bandaged arm out at her side in a grand way.

"Preston! You're making a scene!" Wendy shrieked from her side, panic crossing her face.

"I know, I'm trying to!" the girl laughed cheerfully, obviously not bothered by all the stares she was now receiving.

_ 'Hey, it's that girl we brought into the infirmary, Preston. Why's she up so soon? Shouldn't Wendy have made her stay? Maybe she wouldn't listen.'_

"Alright! Let's see!" Preston then looked around the guild, examining each person's face. "Well, you all look like a bunch of nutcases!" she then declared.

"Well, she figured us out quick," Lucy heard Gray mutter from behind her, and she couldn't help but giggle at the truth behind both statements.

"Hey, who are you calling a nutcase?!" Natsu demanded angrily.

"Oh, calm down. It's actually a good thing," Preston laughed, waving a hand as if brushing off the remark.

"Huh?" Lucy questioned in confusion. _'A good thing?'_

"Because I'm one too!" the girl continued, a wide grin spreading over her face again. "Don't worry, we'll all get along fine!"

_ 'Great, so she's crazy too,'_ Lucy thought bitterly.

"Child, what are you doing now? You really ought to be resting," a voice spoke from behind the crimson-eyed girl. Her eyes lighting up, she then turned to face the short, elderly man standing behind her.

"Macarov!" she squealed, picking him up and hugging him. He let out an 'oof' as he was squeezed tightly, before she placed him back down, locking her hands behind her back and smiling cheerfully.

"Well, I see that you have grown taller, and stronger as well," Master Macarov wheezed, panting to catch his breath back.

She was about to reply when a hand was suddenly placed onto her head. Looking up, she was met with the gray eyes of a certain dragon slayer.

"Laxus!" she squealed again, turning around to tackle the taller man into a hug. There was a collection of gasps around the guild as everyone watched her wrap her arms around his neck and place her head against his chest.

"Jeez, relax will yah? How long has it been now? You certainly weren't this pretty before," he snickered.

She laughed, pulling away and slapping a hand against his chest as she only came up to about his shoulder. "Shut up! It's good to see you too!"

He laughed, ruffling her hair and further irritating the smaller blond. That's when a girl with long white hair came over to them, a big smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Hi, I'm Mirajane! It's nice to meet you!" she chirped happily, raising a hand in greeting.

"Oh, hi! I've seen you before! You're in that silly Sorcerer Weekly thing, right?" Preston asked.

Mira laughed, giving a small nod. "Yes, I am. And what is your name?"

"I'm Preston!" the girl replied, reaching out a hand for Mira to shake. She did, and the two girl's smiled at each other.

"Hey, do you drink?!" Cana called from across the guild.

Preston turned in the direction of the drunken mage and grinned. "Only if you're buying!" she replied, and a chorus of laughs rang through the guild.

"Nah, I'm good," Cana replied, waving it off with a hand before taking another chug from her glass.

"Hey, I'm Gray Fullbuster," Gray introduced himself, stepping up in front of the girl with a cocky smirk.

She smirked right back, placing a hand on her hip and shifting her weight to one side. "Oh? I see. So, you're the infamous stripper who acts as a walking fan service to every girl he ever meets, right? Typical of an ice-mage I guess."

He gaped, his jaw falling and his eyes widening to an almost impossible width. The sound of Natsu's laughing could be heard clearly from a few yards behind them.

"Man, she sure figured you out quick, Ice Princess!" Natsu laughed.

"B-but how did you know I use ice magic?" Gray stuttered, a look of shock still adorning his face.

She reached forward and pushed up his still hanging jaw, smiling innocently. "Oh, trust me, you'd be surprised how much I can know about a person just by hearing their name." She then added a little more quietly. "Especially a wizard."

Stretching, Preston began walking through the guild, eyeing people. Questions were thrown at her from every side, and she tried her best to answer them.

"Hey, where are you from?"

"I'm from Freesia."

"What happened to you?"

"Don't know."

"Are you a wizard?"

"Nope."

"How do you know Master Macarov and Laxus?"

"Ask them."

"How old are you?"

"I don't know… twenty-five?"

"Are you and Wendy really sisters?"

"Sure, sort of."

"Why'd you come here?"

"No clue. I was probably looking for Wendy."

"How badly hurt are you?"

"Eh, it's just a couple scratches."

Everyone shut up then, staring wearily at her. They were stuck between wondering if she was lying or another dragon-slayer. A few scratches? Yeah right. But she wasn't a wizard, so she was probably just very tolerant towards pain.

"Hey, Preston!" a pink-haired dragon-slayer they all knew ran up to her. "I'm Natsu, nice to meet you!" He reached out a hand towards her and gave her one of his wide and cheerful grins.

Her eyes widened, and she unconsciously took a step back. "Natsu? Like, _the_ Natsu Dragneel?"

He nodded in confirmation and she gasped, taking another step back.

"Prove it!" she suddenly shouted, her eyes filled with panic and even fear.

He gave her a confused look before holding up a hand, setting it aflame. Another gasp escaped her lips, then suddenly she was stumbling backwards, panic and terror obvious on her face as she quickly scrabbled away from him.

"Stay away from me!" she screamed. "Get away! Don't come near!"

He was even more confused now as he stared at her. _'Is she afraid of me? But why? What did I do?'_

Preston sat on the ground with her back pressed firmly against the bar and her eyes locked on the rather confused fire dragon-slayer standing not all too far from her. She could vaguely hear voices speaking to her, but they sounded far away.

"Preston, my child, are you alright?" Master Macarov asked, concern obvious in his voice.

"Hey, what's up with you, brat?" Laxus asked, leaning over the bar to look at her.

"Preston? Are you alright?" Wendy seemed the most worried out of all of them, and she kept casting glances back and forth between her sister and Natsu.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Natsu asked, taking a step towards her.

"No! Get away from me!" the blonde screamed, closing her eyes and pressing more tightly against the wooden bar behind her. He ignored her though and continued to walk towards her. Finally, Wendy couldn't take it anymore.

"Natsu, stop!" she screamed, running over and shoving the pink haired dragon-slayer away from the trembling blonde.

He stumbled back, a look of shock on his face. He turned to Wendy, watching as the slightly shaking girl stood protectively in front of Preston.

"Hey, what's with you, Wendy?!" he asked in surprise, feeling a little upset that she'd shoved him away.

"You can't go near Preston!" the blunette shouted.

"Why not?!" he asked, growing a little angry. What had he done anyways? He'd never even met this girl before!

"Because," Wendy began, her voice shaking and fury clear in her brown eyes. "She's afraid of fire!"

* * *

**A/N - Hey guys! I bet you weren't expecting that, huh? Everybody's got to have a weakness though, so that's one of hers. Okay, so before I go on with my normal rambling, I would really like to thank whitephenix for following this story; it is much appreciated! I love you! :3 I would also like to say that this story now officially has 100 views, so yay! X3**

**Kintoki Kin: Awww! Thanks! :3 You have no idea how much that means to me. I hope I don't disappoint! And thanks for reviewing, that is really appreciated. ;)**

**So, I'm sure this chapter was a little surprising to some people for two reasons. 1: her fear of fire. Really, I don't think that's it's all that surprising, but it might be a little shocking if you weren't paying attention in the last chapter. 2: She's not a wizard. OMG, a Fairy Tail oc who isn't a wizard! X3 Or is she? Just kidding! XD**

**Well thanks for reading! Review please! Helpful criticism is accepted, not rude remarks, those will be ignored! I also will reply to your guys comments (unless I deem them too rude or inappropriate) so yes, I do read these kind of things.**

**I love you all, and I will see you in the next chapter! :3**

**Word Count: 2234**

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings - N/A**

**Characters who appeared in this chapter:**

**Preston**

**Wendy**

**Erza**

**Lucy**

**Master Macarov**

**Laxus**

**Gray**

**Mira**

**Natsu**

**(By Name)**

'**Woman'**

'**Big Brother'**

**Okay, so because I think this cool, I am going to list all the countries that people have read this story in. (The traffic chart is one of my favorite features!)**

**United States: 24 visitors (44 views)**

**Indonesia: 5 visitors (8 views)**

**Canada: 3 visitors (7 views)**

**United Kingdom: 4 visitors (6 views)**

**Philippines: 4 visitors (5 views)**

**Republic of Korea (Fanfiction writes it Korea, Republic of, so I assume it's actually the other way around?): 2 visitors (5 views)**

**Australia: 3 visitors (4 views)**

**China: 3 visitors (3 views)**

**France: 1 visitor (3 views)**

**Mexico: 1 visitor (3 views)**

**Puerto Rico: 1 visitor (2 views)**

**Israel: 2 visitors (2 views)**

**Belgium: 1 visitor (2 views)**

**Malaysia: 2 visitors (2 views)**

**Colombia: 1 visitor (1 view)**

**Finland: 1 visitor (1 view)**

**Hong Kong: 1 visitor (1 view)**

**Venezuela: 1 visitor (1 view)**

**Thanks for reading guys! I love you! (I also have no school today because my parents car broke and they can't drive me, so I might just update again later today. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Princess and The Dragon

**Moon Dust - A Fairy Tail Fanfic**

**Author - duncundog**

**Summary - When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. She claims to be innocent, but yet she refuses to tell anyone about her past. Master Macarov knows her, but according to him, she's supposed to be dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild being threatened from all sides, it seems that their newest member isn't quite the person they thought her to be, and they could pay gravely for their mistake.**

**Author's Notes**

Normal Story

'_Character Thoughts'_

_**Memories**_

"__emphasis in a sentence__"

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings (It looks like this might be empty for a bit, sorry.) - N/A**

**Chapter 4 - The Princess and The Dragon**

**Disclaimer - I STILL do not own Fairy Tail (damn it!), and it is actually owned by Hiro Mashima (Lucky guy! I'd pay for his imagination!)**

* * *

"She's afraid of fire!"

Natsu took a step back, obviously surprised by the younger girls' revelation.

"What? Why?" he asked, feeling taken aback by her words. _'Afraid of fire? Who could be afraid of fire?'_

"Natsu, I swear you are so dense," Erza hissed, stepping up to the Preston and kneeling beside her. "There, there, it's okay."

The blonde cracked an eye, glancing up at Erza in fear. Her body trembled, and she held her arms protectively over her head.

"It's alright, Preston. Don't worry about that idiot, he won't hurt you," Erza smiled softly at the girl, speaking in a quiet and reassuring tone. Preston slowly pulled down her arms, a little of the fear leaving her expression.

"Hey, Preston. I'm so-" Natsu stepped forward with a hand outreached, attempting to apologize, when he was interrupted by Erza.

"Natsu!" she scolded, glaring at him. Preston had flinched at his motion and instantly threw her arms up over her head again, squeezing shut her eyes and clenching her teeth, her whole body shaking in fear.

"Come on, Natsu. Let's go. She needs some space," Happy said, tugging on the pink haired boy's sleeve.

He glanced at the trembling blonde before looking away, his misty black orbs filled with guilt and sadness. "Yeah, sure."

"I'll come too," Lucy offered, standing up from her seat across the guild. He just shook his head though, walking out the doors with the blue exceed trailing after him.

"No, Luce. You stay here."

She stared after him for a moment before murmuring a quiet, "Yeah, okay." Sitting down, she then stared off into space, wondering what was wrong with him._ 'Does it really hurt him that she's afraid of him? I guess for such a friendly person as Natsu, meeting someone who's scared of you just because of your magic must be frustrating. When I think about it, Loke and I used to be the same way. It really did hurt me. Maybe they can eventually become friends like we did.'_ She smiled at the thought, picturing the two laughing and talking. _'That would be nice.'_

"Preston, hey are you okay?" a voice broke the blonde from her thoughts as she turned to see Laxus helping the crimson-eyed girl to her feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she murmured quietly, shuffling her feet uncomfortably and rubbing one of her arms with the other as she stared at the ground.

"I assume this fear stems from your father's death?" Master Macarov asked a little tentatively.

She glanced at him briefly before nodding. "Yeah, it does," she whispered in a voice that was barely even audible.

Suddenly she was wrapped in a hug as Wendy jumped onto her. "I'm sorry, sis! I forgot how afraid you were of fire!" she cried.

Preston allowed a small smile to enter her features, hugging back the small girl. "It's fine, Wendy. It's not your fault, okay?"

Wendy pulled away, a big smile on her face. "Okay!"

Preston smiled, shaking her head, and Laxus slung an arm over her shoulders with a big grin. She just reached up and smacked his cheek playfully, allowing a small laugh to escape her mouth. That just made him grin even wider, or as wide as the normally disgruntled boy could.

"So, Preston, would you care to tell me where you've been for these past sixteen years?" Master Macarov asked, his tone and expression suddenly serious. "You do realize that the magic council had officially declared you dead, do you not?"

She went quiet, the smile immediately disappearing from her face. "I know," she murmured.

"Then where have you been?!" he asked hysterically. "Why didn't you come forth and tell everyone that you were alive?!"

Her head suddenly shot up anger flashing through her eyes, and she shrugged off Laxus's arm, stepping forward. "Maybe that's because that I wanted them to think I was dead!"

Everyone went silent then, staring wide-eyed at the furious blonde standing before them. Her eyes were dark, and there seemed to be somewhat of an undertone of pain hiding deep inside them. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she then turned and stormed out of the guild, Wendy at her heels.

"Preston!" Master Macarov shouted, taking a step forward to follow her. He was stopped though by Laxus placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop right there, Gramps. She needs some space. Just let her be," he spoke calmly, and slowly the older man relaxed.

"Fine," he muttered, turning and walking back towards his office. The guild remained silent after the two left, and a little reluctantly, Lucy stood up.

"I-I need some fresh air," she told the members who had given her curious glances. Shrugging at her response to their silent questioning, they then turned back to their drinks and began to talk again. Once she was sure all attention was off of her, she then moved towards the doors and stepped outside. There sat Preston, with Wendy beside her, on the steps. She had her head in her arms, knees pulled up to her chest. Wendy had placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her and speaking quietly.

"Um, hello?" Lucy spoke up, hesitance clear in her voice.

Both girls instantly whipped around, staring at her. Wendy seemed to relax when she saw that it was only her blond haired teammate, but Preston still looked a little suspicious.

"Hey, don't worry! I'm a good guy, remember?" Lucy laughed nervously, holding her hands up in front of her as a sign of peace. "My name's Lucy, it's nice to meet you!" She then held out a hand to the other blonde, grinning widely.

"Uh, hi," Preston mumbled, taking her hand and shaking it. Lucy then pulled her to her feet and smiled.

"So, Preston, do you know where are you're staying?" she asked.

"Uh…" Preston trailed off, realizing that she had no idea. Where was she staying? She hadn't even thought of it until now.

"I'll take that as a no!" Lucy said cheerfully, taking her hand and beginning to drag her down the street. "Well, Fairy Hills is full, so you're going to have to stay with me!"

"W-what?!" Preston shrieked in surprise as she stumbled along behind the surprisingly strong blonde that had grabbed her.

Lucy turned back to her, a big smile gracing her soft features. "Well, why not? I just recently bought an extra bed anyways since my team seems to think they live there, so you can sleep on that. And we can share the rent too, so that solves my money problem! Plus now you won't get lost wandering around Magnolia, and we can be best friends! Sound good?"

"Uh… sure?" Preston replied a little uncertainly. She was debating over whether to be scared of or grateful for the other blonde standing in front of her. It all seemed like a lot to take in at the moment.

"Hey! Wait up, guys!" Wendy called, running down the street behind them with a newly appeared Charle flying beside her.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Lucy laughed.

Wendy came to a halt in front of them, panting a little before looking up at them again. "So, Preston is going to stay at your place, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded proudly, hugging the lighter-blonde to her chest. "Yes, and we're going to be best friends! Right, Preston?"

"Uh, sure," Preston mumbled in a muffled voice from Lucy's large chest being pressed in her face.

Wendy flushed, shifting uncomfortably. "Uh, Lucy? Could you let go of Preston? You're suffocating her."

"Huh? Oh! Sorry!" Lucy squealed, jumping away from the now dizzy blonde.

"I-It's okay," Preston reassured her in a weak voice. "Um, so should we go?"

Lucy nodded, a grin spreading across her face. "Yeah, let's go!"

* * *

Lucy skipped into the guild with a tired looking Preston trailing behind her. It was the next day, and Lucy had kept Preston up all night chatting.

"Hi, Lucy! Hi, Preston!" Mira called from the bar.

"Hi, Mira!" Lucy called back with a cheerful wave as she took her usual seat at the bar.

"Hey, Mirajane," Preston mumbled, slouching into the seat beside her new friend.

"Oh please, call me Mira," Mira replied cheerfully.

Preston nodded, and Mira smiled before walking off to make Lucy her daily milkshake. A moment later she returned with two glasses of pink milkshakes, placing them in front of the blondes.

"These are on the house for today, okay?" she said kindly.

"Thanks, Mira!" Lucy chirped, taking her drink and sipping it with pleasure, a shiver chilling her spine as the sweetness of strawberries touched her tongue.

"Yeah, thanks," Preston said, smiling at the white haired barmaid as she picked up her own drink. Taking a sip, she then looked at it in surprise. "Wow, this is good!"

Mira lifted her hand to her mouth, giggling a little. "Thank you! I'm glad you like it!"

"Hmmm," Preston hummed in response, taking another sip of her newly discovered favorite drink. That's when an arm was suddenly slung over her shoulders, nearly causing her to choke on her straw.

"Hey there, Princess," she heard a male's voice beside her. Turning, she caught sight of a smirk she recognized from the day before.

Sighing, she replied, "Hey to you too, Frost Bite."

Gray laughed, removing his arm from her shoulders and taking the empty seat next to her. Looking at the seat on the other side of the blonde , he added, "Hey, Lucy."

She smiled, waving back. "Hey, Gray!"

Mira leaned over the bar, a sly smile coming across her face. "What's with this princess stuff, huh, Gray?"

"Don't even start, Mira," he growled, causing her to laugh.

"Okay, fine! Calm down!" she laughed.

Lucy sighed, shaking her head, and that only made her laugh again.

"So, what are you doing here anyways, Princess? You're not a wizard, so why hang around here?" Gray asked curiously, leaning his elbows on the bar in front of them and turning to give the light-haired blonde beside him a curious stare.

"A, don't call me that. B, stop staring at me like a lost puppy. And C, maybe because I want to. Nobody ever said that a normal civilian can't just hang out at a wizard guild. Besides, Lucy's my friend, I have nothing else to do, and I wanna catch up with Wendy and Laxus anyways, so I might as well come hang out," she replied promptly, sipping her drink and closing her eyes as she faced forward, ignoring the curious stare he still cast her.

He snickered, giving her a mischievous look before asking, "Since when were you in the practice of calling yourself 'normal'?"

She shot him a glare before replying, "I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that."

He laughed, then gave her another sly smirk as he added, "By the way, you sure are looking good today." She glanced down at the short brown skirt and saggy pink tank top that she had borrowed from Lucy. It was a little revealing, considering that Lucy's chest was much larger than hers and therefore the shirt came much lower than it should, and she blushed realizing the implication behind the ice mage's words. That flustered expression quickly changed into a scowl, though, as he added, "Even for a flat-chested girl like yourself."

She smacked him upside the head and retorted, "Well sorry we can't all bust the bank! And for your information, I'm not flat! You're just so surrounded by freaking models that you don't know what normal looks like!"

He laughed, playfully bumping his shoulder against hers. "Oh, calm down. I was just kidding. Even if you are kind of small."

"Will you quite talking about the size of my chest, you perv!" she fumed, hitting him back twice as hard.

"Hey, quit flirting you two!" Macao called from across the bar, causing the two to turn a bright red as they turned to shout.

"We're not flirting!" they yelled at once, the embarrassment clear on their faces.

"Aw! No need to be shy!" Mira teased, coming to stand in front of them with a hand placed on one cheek in adoration.

"We're not being shy!" Gray replied quickly.

"Besides, why would I want to flirt with this pervert?" Preston added, crossing her arms over her chest. "I hate him, he's mean to me."

"Ouch," Gray said in a mocking tone, pretending to wince at her hurtful words.

"Oh, shut it," she snapped, causing him to laugh again.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" a new voice entered the discussion, one that caused Preston to freeze in her spot. It couldn't be…

She turned to face the pink haired dragon slayer standing behind her. He grinned, raising a hand in greeting, and she responded by screaming and diving over the bar, nearly crashing into a very surprised Mira along the way.

"Hey, not even a hi?" Natsu complained, leaning over the bar to peer at the girl cowering behind it.

"Get away from me, demon!" she shrieked, trembling in fear of the boy standing above her.

"Hey, what did I ever do to you?" he asked incredulously.

Suddenly a hand grabbed Natsu by the collar, lifting him into the air with a great force. Soon he was face to face with none other than the guild's very own resident lighting dragon-slayer.

"Hey, punk, what do you think you're doing to Preston there?" he growled, spittle flying from his mouth to sprinkle itself over Natsu's face.

The pink haired boy scrunched up his eyes and nose, wiping away the saliva with the back of his hand. "Jeez, careful, will yah?"

"I could say the same thing to you," Laxus spat, this time purposefully spraying the other boy's face.

"Hey, look man, I'm sorry! Alright? Just put me down and stop spitting on me already!" Natsu shouted, more than a little irritated now.

Laxus dropped the boy, allowing him to fall roughly to the ground. Lucy shrieked, then sighed as she saw that her friend was fine. The blond haired dragon-slayer then walked behind the bar and grabbed the younger blonde by the arm, lifting her to her feet. She was still trembling, and as soon as she saw Natsu she let out a shriek, attempting to duck out of Laxus's grasp and climb back under the bar.

"Alright, now you two are going to settle this, or so help me, I will make you!" Laxus shouted, shoving the now absolutely terrified blonde towards the other dragon-slayer.

_ 'Isn't that what you're doing now?'_ Lucy thought a little bitterly, watching anxiously as Preston came to a stumbling stop in front of her pink-haired friend.

Natsu stared at the light haired blonde before slowly allowing a grin to settle on his features, raising a hand in greeting. "Hey!"

Preston screamed loudly, turning to try and run back before she was caught in the arms of Laxus and shoved right back.

"Mira! Lucy! Help me!" she cried, turning to the two girls who still sat back at the bar.

"Sorry, Preston, but I think that this is really for the best," Mira apologized with a kind smile.

"I agree," Lucy added.

"Guys!" Preston cried, a heavy weight forming in her stomach. Now what?

"Hey, don't sweat it," a new voice spoke. Preston looked up to see Gray standing beside her. "It's fine. He's really not all that scary."

"Hey, who are you calling not scary, Popsicle?!" Natsu shouted.

"What did you call me, Flame-Brain?!" Gray shouted back, just as angrily.

"Huh?! What was that, Ice Princess?!" Natsu retorted.

"Pyro!"

"Droopy-eyes!"

"Scaly!"

"Stripper!"

"Hot-head!"

"Perv!"

Preston stared at them for a moment, and then she burst out laughing. Both boys turned to stare at her, not sure what to make of her reaction. What was she laughing at?

She wiped tears from her eyes, grinning at both of them as she clutched her now aching stomach. "You guys are hilarious, you know that?"

They stared at her for a moment longer, before they too burst out laughing. Suddenly all three of them were rolling on the floor in laughter, clutching their sides from the now throbbing pain that pulsed through them.

"Aw, jeez," muttered Lucy.

"I think it's cute!" Mira cooed.

"Well, at least there getting along," Laxus sighed.

"I'll drink to that!" Cana called from across the bar.

"You'll drink to anything," Macao corrected her, and that only made the three on the floor laugh harder.

That was when Wendy decided to step through the guild doors, Charle walking behind her. When she saw her three friends rolling on the floor laughing, a look of confusion crossed her face. "Um, did I miss something?"

Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "No, just that we probably added another idiot to our list of friends."

"Hey! You're on that list too, Lucy!" Preston protested from the floor, her laughing ceasing long enough for her to shout that before she went back to her interminable chortling along with the two boys.

"I don't think I want to know," Wendy muttered, sitting at the bar and asking for a milkshake. _'At least they're getting along.'_

* * *

**A/N - I apologize, that was basically just a filler chapter. It was kind of necessary though, because I really can't move on with the story until Preston and Natsu begin to get along, or at least tolerate each other. Don't worry, it's not the last time the whole 'fire issue' will pop up, so it's not as if she just totally got over it. The story is most definitely going to pick up in the next chapter when the plotline really begins to move forward, so it will be a little more interesting. K? :3**

**Now, I would really like to thank everyone who read the last chapter, and ESPECIALLY like to thank Gravity-Chan for favoriting, following, and reviewing my story! You are freaking awesome! :3 I love you!**

**Gravity-Chan: This review made me smile so much, you have no idea. :3 I'm glad you like it, and I really appreciate the compliment you gave me. I try my best to think things through and make sure everything fits and correlates with each other. (It's a little tricky since in future chapters I'll kind of have to weave in between some very tight spaces that Hiro Mashima left me when he wrote the original story.) You have left me feeling very accomplished, so thank you so much! I'm super happy that you've enjoyed it so far, and I hope to not let you down in the future! :3**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave me a review (those seriously make my day) and I will reply in the next chapter!**

**I love you all, and I hope to see you soon!**

**Word Count: 2868**

**Currently established and/or hinted at pairings - Preston x Gray (Hinted), Laxus x Preston? (Semi-hinted depending on point of view. I think it's more likely a cousin-type love, but some people might see it differently :3)**

**Characters who appeared in this chapter:**

**Preston**

**Natsu**

**Wendy**

**Lucy**

**Gray**

**Laxus**

**Mira**

**Cana**

**Macao**

**Happy**

**Erza**

**Master Macarov**

**Charle**

**(By Name)**

**Loke**

**Okay, now this is sort of related, but not really. (It's not important to the story, hence why it's at the bottom.) I got my Lucy Heartfilia keys today! :D I was so excited! It surprised me because they weren't even supposed to be here for another week, so when my mom handed me a package and said it was mine, I nearly jumped out of my skin to see 'Lucy Heartfilia Cosplay Zodiac Keys' written across the front. I got all 22 known Celestial keys, a small ring for each one to hang on, a large key ring to put them on, a clip to attach the key ring to your belt, a necklace with the fairy tail insignia on it, Gray's necklace (I'm wearing it now :3), and a cool box with Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, Happy, and Charle on the front to keep it all in. I absolutely love it! My friend's going to be psyched too since I promised to give her the Fairy Tail necklace (I am definitely keeping Gray's) and the Cancer key (it's her zodiac symbol.) One thing that made me laugh so hard though was what was written on the side. It said:**

**Lucy always wanted to join the girls gathered in a number of powerful magicians named Fairy Tail guild. Under the guidance of the Naz, Lucy finally get what you want, then, Lucy Naz, Gray, with Ailusha and Xabi is composed of the strongest team, journey begins…**

**I'm not kidding, that is word for word, exactly punctuated, what it said. My brother and I couldn't stop laughing, especially when he suggested that they just put it through Google Translate, since the rest of the box was in Japanese. (There's also the fact that there is a 'sexy' picture of Lucy ina bathing suit-type outfit with a laser sword on the back?)**

**Anyways, I love you all, and I hope to see you soon! Bye-bye! :3**


	5. Chapter 5 - The Dark and The Light

**Moon Dust – A Fairy Tail Fanfic**

**Author – duncundog**

**Summary – When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. She claims to be innocent, yet she refuses to tell anyone about her past. Master Macarov knows her, but according to him, she's supposed to be dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild being threatened from all sides, it seems that their newest member isn't quite what they thought her to be, and they could pay gravely for their mistake.**

**Author's Notes**

Normal Story

'_Character Thoughts'_

_**Memories**_

"__emphasis in a sentence_"_

**Chapter 5 – The Dark and The Light**

**Disclaimer – Cheez it, I really want to own this, but I don't! *sigh* Oh well, maybe next time.**

**Last Time On 'Moon Dust':**

* * *

"She's afraid of fire!"

…

"Then where have you been?! Why didn't you come forth and tell everyone that you were alive?!

"Maybe that's because I wanted them to think I was dead!"

…

"My name's Lucy, it's nice to meet you!"

…

"So, Preston, do you know where you're staying?"

…

"Hey there, Princess."

"Hey to you too, Frost Bite."

…

"You're not a wizard, so why hang around here?"

…

"Alright, now you two are going to settle this, or so help me, I will make you!"

…

"You guys are hilarious, you know that?"

…

'_At least they're getting along.'_

* * *

"Why am I here again?" Preston grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and blowing a strand of blond hair away from her crimson red eyes.

Preston, Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy were walking down a dusty road through the countryside, Erza's luggage being pulled behind them. They had been walking for a few hours now, and Preston was beginning to grow tired. They were going to take a train, but Natsu was pretty adamant about walking, so they finally agreed, albeit not without some pretty heated argument. Everyone was exhausted, and at one point Lucy had actually summoned one of her spirits, Helorgium the Clock, to ride in. His time had just run up a few minutes ago, though, so the blonde was back to walking with everyone else.

"Because, you obviously know quite a bit about magic and wizards, so I'm curious on testing your knowledge," Erza replied to Preston's earlier question in a very business-like tone. Sighing, she nodded, already knowing at this point that is was futile to argue with the scarlet-haired mage. Erza seemed to always get her way in the end, so it would be pretty pointless to try and argue with her.

"So, what exactly is our job again?" Lucy asked, placing a finger to her lips and rolling her doe-brown eyes to the sky as she tried to remember the exact details of their job.

"We have to defeat an earth demon known as Faber. It's in a town just north of here, so we should arrive by sun-down," Erza replied, not even sparing a glance back as she continued to walk at a brisk pace, dragging her massive load of bags behind her with seeming ease.

"You don't think that this demon could be one of Nirvana's like Deliora and Lullaby, do you?" Lucy asked, concern obvious on her face as she recalled the events of the battles they had fought with each demon.

Preston cast a quick glance at Gray, watching as he seemed to instantly tense at the mention of the demon who had killed both his parents and Ur. She had heard the tales of Deliora, and already knew of his difficult past with it, even though he wasn't aware of it. She knew it had to be hard for him to know that demons such as that one still existed, and for that she sympathized with him.

"No, I don't believe so," Erza spoke, shaking her head in response to Lucy's question. "This one isn't quite as powerful, and doesn't seem to be under any sort of control. However, it is still dangerous, and technically an S-class job, so don't take it lightly." Lucy nodded, a touch of worry crossing her features before they returned to normal.

"Yeah! I'm all pumped up!" Natsu shouted, pounding his now flaming fist into the air above his head. Preston flinched upon seeing the orangey flames, but did her best to cover it up, reminding herself that Natsu was a good person, and that he would never purposefully hurt her with his fire.

Lucy sighed, shaking her head. "Natsu, calm down. You're going to tire yourself out before we even get there.

Gray scoffed, jutting a thumb over at the pink haired dragon-slayer. "Him? You kidding me, he has enough energy to run all of Magnolia for a decade."

"Hey! Was that an insult?!" Natsu shouted.

"Wait, you mean you couldn't tell?!"

"So it was an insult!"

"Of course it was, Flame-Brain!"

Lucy slumped a little, obviously exhausted by the boys' arguing. "Aw, man! There they go again!" she whined.

Preston giggled, shaking her head. Lucy may have been exhausted, but she was brimming with energy, and couldn't be happier. Her smile faded, though, when she remembered the conversation she had had with Wendy before leaving with Team Natsu on the job.

* * *

_**"Big Sis, is it really a good idea to be doing this?" Wendy asked, her brown eyes showing concern as she stared up at the older girl.**_

_** "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine!" Preston laughed in response, reaching forward to ruffle the younger girl's long blue hair.**_

_** "But what if you get hurt?" Wendy asked again, biting her lip in worry.**_

_** Preston laughed again, shaking her head and pulling a stray piece of her light-blond hair behind her ear. "I said I'll be fine! Besides, you know me, right? I would never get hurt that easily!"**_

_** "I know, but…" Wendy trailed off, glancing away from her sister.**_

_** The blonde sighed, knowing exactly what was on her sister's mind. Bending down to her sister's height, she placed her hands on the small girl's shoulders, forcing her to look at her.**_

_** "Wendy, I know you're worried, but trust me, I'll be careful. Nothing will happen, I promise."**_

_** Wendy sighed, wishing silently that she could fully believe her sister's words. Shaking it off though, she smiled, hoping to reassure herself that maybe it would be okay. Maybe…**_

_** "Okay, just please, be careful," she whispered.**_

_** Preston smiled, wrapping the young girl in a hug before pulling away and standing up again. "Don't worry, I will be."**_

_** She began to head for the guild doors, going to meet Lucy and the others outside, but was stopped when she heard Wendy speak again from behind her.**_

_** "Everybody has a dark and a light side. Sometimes we will be consumed by one, and others will see us as strange. The truth is, we are simply reacting to our light, or in some cases, the loss of our darkness."**_

* * *

Preston bit her lip, feeling the anxiety consume her as she thought back to Wendy's last words. Those words - she had always hated them. They brought back too much… too much pain. Wendy knew that, but yet she still spoke them. Preston knew why of course. The young girl was warning her. She was warning her of what would happen were she to make the wrong step. She was happy to have been reunited with Master Macarov and Laxus, and to have met all the other wonderful people at Fairy Tail, but she also knew that by doing so, she had put not only herself in danger, but them as well. If they knew… no, when they know, she will surely be dead. Wendy was the only one that knew: her and brother. Brother wasn't there now, though, and Wendy could only do so much. The blonde felt a tear prick at her eyes as she remembered all that the young dragon-slayer had been through. _'And it was all because of me. It was all my fault.'_

Shaking herself from her depressing thoughts, Preston quickly wiped away the unshed tears before the others could see them. Now wasn't a time to be thinking of such things. She would get there when she got there, and that was that.

Smiling, she looked around at the others. They had all been so kind to her, and it hurt her to think that one day… well, like she had thought before, that was for another time. For now though, she would enjoy herself. As of now she had no restrictions, and that meant that she was allowed to be happy. Black Water didn't own her, they never had. She would be fine without them, and she knew that they would be fine without her.

"Hey, Gray! Natsu! I'll race you to that tree!" she shouted, pointing at a far off tree before setting off at a sprint.

"Hey, no fair!" Nastu shouted, racing after her with Gray right behind.

"Oh, no you don't!" Erza shot right after them, her speed surprising considering that she was still dragging her massive load of luggage behind her.

Lucy looked around, realizing that she was now being left behind, along with Happy. "Hey, wait! Guys!" she cried, running after them with Happy flying above her. "Why does this always happen to me…?!"

* * *

_**'It's dark… I can't see. Daddy? Where's my Daddy?'**_

_** "It's alright young one. You can open your eyes."**_

_** The small girl allowed her eyes to finally flutter open, revealing crimson red orbs, still misty from recent tears. Her long blond hair was tangled and dirty, leaves poking out from between the muddy strands. Her knee-length sundress that had before been white was now a dull brownish-gray, the ends torn and ripped. Her knees were caked with mud, and her legs and arms were red from the many scratches they'd suffered. Her face was covered in dirt, and her dusty cheeks showed the tracks of her tears, clearing a path through the grime to slide off her face. There was also a large red splotch staining the side of her dress, darkened as it was now dried and old. More blood seemed to appear on her hands, face, and legs, all dried and flaking as it cracked from her movement.**_

_** "W-what do y-you want?" she asked, sniffling and trying to put on a brave face as she looked up at the man standing before her. It didn't seem to work though as her voice cracked and fresh tears ran from her eyes.**_

_** The man stared down at her, his face shadowed by the hood of the worn brown cloak that he wore. His ancient hand clutched a staff, the wood twisted and knotted into a spiraling shape. The cloak covered his entire body, but the girl could still see the strands of long silvery-gray hair that fell from his shoulders.**_

_** "Girl, you are lost, aren't you?" he asked, his voice surprisingly deep and smooth for his appearance.**_

_** She sniffed, looking at the ground as she played with the tattered hem of her dress. "I-I don't know. M-my home is gone, a-and I can't find my D-Daddy."**_

_** The man continued to gaze down at her, his expression only known to him as the shadows continued to hide his face from her. Taking a breath, he spoke again, causing the young girl to look up at him. "They attacked you, didn't they?"**_

_** She sniffled, looking down again as she nodded her confirmation.**_

_** He kneeled before the girl, allowing her for a moment to see his clear silver eyes. "You are alone, aren't you?"**_

_** The girl stared at him, not sure what to say. Was it true? Was she alone? She'd never been alone before, so she wasn't sure now whether or not she was. Was this what it was like to be alone? Afraid, sad, pained… she had so many words to describe what she felt, but alone wasn't one that she had thought of.**_

_**The man stood, turning to leave. Before he could though, the girl had jumped to her feet, fighting back more tears as she spoke to him. "M-my Daddy… he's dead… isn't he?"**_

_** The man stopped, pausing for a moment to look back at her over his shoulder. "You are a brave little girl, aren't you?" he asked, his voice betraying no emotions as he spoke to her.**_

_** She nodded, a fierce determination sparking in her eyes despite the obvious grief she was in.**_

_** He smiled, his ancient face wrinkling as he looked down at her. In that moment, she observed how well the moonlight seemed to form around him, casting half of his body in light while the other was in dark. It seemed to almost move around him, shimmering and glittering in dance of light. Struck with amazement, she stood for a moment, gazing in awe at the beautiful sight of the silvery light that seemed to only fall upon the old man.**_

_** The man lifted his head, smiling up at the light that filtered down upon him through the trees. She couldn't see his eyes, but in that moment she knew that they too were smiling, just as soft and kindly as his lips.**_

_** "The moon, it is amazing isn't it?" he asked his voice gentle as he raised a hand to his side, as if touching the light against his palm and fingertips. "It cast the world in two lights, one of silver, and one of black."**_

_** She stood before him, her eyes wide as she took in his words. He seemed to have sensed her thoughts before, as he had now begun to address them in an almost poetic way that enchanted her, placing her in a trance as she watched the light dance around his ancient fingers.**_

_** "Everything has two sides to it; a light side, and a dark. The moon reflects this perfectly. Did you know that what we see of the moon is only one side? The other is completely dark: so black it would send shivers along the spines of even the evilest of evils. That is why some nights we can't even see it. It hasn't gone, it is just dark. It will always return to the light though, as long as we give it the time to change."**_

_** The man turned back to her, the smile still gracing his features. Now she could see his face, bathed ever so gently in the moonlight. He was old, but yet despite his ancient appearance she suspected that he was much older than he seemed. His face was pale in the light, and long silver hair seemed to give off a healthy sheen as it tumbled gracefully over his shoulders, almost glowing in the light and giving him the appearance of youth. His eyes were a beautiful shade of silver, so clear she felt as though he might be able to talk through them, and that if he did, she would understand. Wrinkles creased his face, although they were light, and hardly visible. The crinkles beside his eyes and mouth told her that he often smiled, and the lack of lines along his forehead showed the few times that he'd frowned. He seemed gentle, and it made her feel strangely relaxed.**_

_** "Each person has these lights in them. They are dark and they are light. That is why the moon seems to change us. Some will be relaxed by it, while others become anxious. They call it 'Moon Madness', because we seem to change under the light of a full moon. The truth is, we are simply reacting to our light, or in some cases, the loss of our darkness." The man turned, facing his back to her and still clutching the ancient staff in his hands. "Some are better off living in the light, while others are better to be kept in the dark."**_

_** He began to walk away, and still entranced, the young girl followed, her crimson orbs shining as she stepped fully into the light. The silvery substance seemed to move to her, brightening and casting her small body in a radiant glow. Ahead of her, the man smiled, still not stopping nor turning.**_

_** "No matter what though, the moon casts its light upon all of us, and by extension, our hearts. Each person has a light side, and each person has a dark. Our hearts are divided, and with them our beings, bathed forever in the light of the Maiden of the Moon's game."**_

* * *

Gasping, Preston bolted upright in bed, her breathing labored and a cold sweat soaking her trembling body. Lifting her head, she gazed up at the moonlight that filtered in through a window high on the wall of the small shack. It came down, seeming to surround her in its comfortingly cold light. The light itself was little, only falling upon her, and leaving the others beside her in dark. Around her she could hear the loud snores of the boys and gentler breathing of the girls. Her companions were all asleep, as had she been before her dream had awoken her. They'd arrive in the town only hours before, and so had been offered rest while waiting for the demon to appear. Knowing she would not sleep, she stood, carefully stepping around her new friends, narrowly missing stepping on Happy's tail as she made her way out of the shack.

Finally making her way to the door, she stepped out, the cold night air blowing her light blond hair around her. Shivering, she hugged her arms close to her body, painfully aware of how cold it must've been at that time of night. Sighing, she gazed up at the silver disk above her, its light shining down upon her and coloring her hair a silvery shade of white. Her crimson eyes glossed over, a melancholic sense of emotion swirling through them as she reached up a hand to brush back the fine strands of hair that flowed around her. To an outside viewer, it would seem as if she were lost, gazing up at the moon in such a longing way, as if she were missing something, and only the light that bathed her could hold the key to finding it again.

Sighing, she closed her eyes, feeling the touch of the moonlight against her soft and pale skin. It felt to her as if it were placing a gentle kiss upon her cheek, comforting her with whispered words only she could hear. Opening her eyes again, she watched as the light moved about, swirling through the night air like waves dancing across the top of the water. To her, nothing could be more beautiful.

A tear pricked her at her eyes as she continued to gaze up at the silvery moon, the cold night air blowing around her and rippling through her clothing and hair.

"No matter what, the moon casts its light upon all of our hearts. Each person has a light side and a dark. Our hearts are divided, bathed forever in the light of the Maiden of the Moon's game," she whispered, her words seeming to disappear into the silent night. A lone tear slowly trickled down her face, sliding across her jaw before falling from her chin. "Will I have enough time… to return to the light…?"

* * *

**A/N – Oh my gosh, guys, I am so sorry! I haven't updated in over a month! I do have a good reason, though, so please hear me out! My computer is actually out of commission right now, so I can't use it. I did have half of this chapter already written, but I forgot to save it to my flash drive, so I was stuck without being able to continue it. I finally got sick of not being able to update, so after my other computer got it Word Program fixed I got on and entirely rewrote this chapter. If it counts for anything, this is literally like ten times better and way more interesting than what I originally wrote for this chapter, so that's good! Anyways, again, I am so sorry for not updating, and thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it!**

**Now, I would like to thank Pikaskye for reviewing and following my story! You gave me the most helpful and encouraging review I have received thus far, so thank you so much! I sincerely apologize for not updating for so long, especially since you broke your 'no reading incomplete stories' rule for me. I feel pretty bad about that, so sorry! I hope this chapter kind of helped to make up for it!**

**I would also like to thank Guest (I'm pretty sure that was my aunt X3) for reviewing. It was much appreciated!**

**I would really like to thank Tokine8696, kingdom cure, and jhellou for favoriting my story!**

**I would like to send special thanks out to again Pikaskye and Tokine8696, as well as JcL107 for following this story! It really means the world to me! :3**

**Word Count - 2,990**

**Well, I love you guys! Thanks again for reading, and I'll try to update again soon! Loye you, bye! :3**

**P.S. I figured out how to put those stupid lines in! Yay! XD**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Demon Faber

**Moon Dust – A Fairy Tail Fanfic**

**Author – duncundog**

**Summary – When a strange girl stumbles into the guild with no memory of the past seven years, Fairy Tail is immediately suspicious. She claims to be innocent, yet she refuses to tell anyone about her past. Master Makarov knows her, but according to him, she's supposed to be dead. Wendy Marvell, on the other hand, tells a different story. With the guild being threatened from all sides, it seems that their newest member isn't quite what they thought her to be, and they could pay gravely for their mistake.**

**Author's Notes**

Normal Story

'_Character Thoughts'_

_**Memories**_

"__emphasis in a sentence_"_

**Chapter 6 – The Demon Faber**

**Disclaimer – Cheez it, I really want to own this, but I don't! *sigh* Oh well, maybe next time.**

* * *

**Last Time On 'Moon Dust':**

"You obviously know quite a bit about magic and wizards, so I'm curious on testing your knowledge."

…

"We have to defeat an earth demon known as Faber. It's in a town just north of here."

…

"_**Wendy, I know you're worried, but trust me, I'll be careful. Nothing will happen, I promise."**_

…

"_**Everybody has a dark and a light side. Sometimes we will be consumed by one, and others will see us as strange. The truth is, we are simply reacting to our light, or in some cases, the loss of our darkness."**_

…

'_And it was all because of me. It was all my fault.'_

…

"_**It's alright young one. You can open your eyes."**_

…

"_**You are alone, aren't you?"**_

…

"_**M-my Daddy… he's dead… isn't he?"**_

…

"_**The moon, it is amazing isn't it? It cast the world in two lights, one of silver, and one of black."**_

…

"_**Some are better off living in the light, while others are better to be kept in the dark."**_

…

"No matter what, the moon casts its light upon all of our hearts. Each person has a light side and a dark. Our hearts are divided, bathed forever in the light of the Maiden of the Moon's game. Will I have enough time… to return to the light…?"

* * *

Preston awoke that morning with only one thought echoing through her mind: _'Each person has a light side and a dark side.'_ Was that really true? It's what she had been taught for so long, she couldn't imagine it being false, and yet… she felt as though perhaps it wasn't true. _'How can we be so evenly divided, when I feel as though I am so heavily weighed?'_ Her balance felt off, and it left her feeling doubtful of the words she had lived so loyally by. _'Is it possible for someone to not be balanced? Could someone have more dark in their heart than light? Could one be shrouded so darkly in black? Is it possible for me to be more evil than I am good?'_ These thoughts echoed sourly through her mind as she washed and dressed herself, brushing out her short blond hair and sighing as she watched the strands fall back to her shoulders. _'They're getting lighter every day. Eventually they'll be silver.'_ Shaking her head to erase the thoughts, she turned away from the sink, exiting the shack's small bathroom.

"Hey, give them back, Natsu!" Gray's voice came loudly from the shack's main room. Curious, Preston stuck her head around the corner, wondering what was going on. She blushed, though, when she saw the scene before her.

Natsu stood on one side of the room with a wide smirk on his face and a pair of black shorts in his hand. On the other side of the room stood a stark naked Gray with an angry scowl on his face. Lucy, Happy, and Erza seemed to have mysteriously disappeared.

"Eek!" she shrieked, spinning back around. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks, and mentally scolded herself for becoming so flustered. Taking a deep breath, she then clenched her fists and placed a determined look on her face. Turning back to the two arguing boys, who still hadn't seemed to of noticed her presence, she marched over to them. They paused for a moment, turning their heads to stare at her. Closing her eyes to avoid their gazes – although mostly to not see Gray's rather bare appearance – she walked over to Natsu and snatched the shorts from his hand. Still holding them by the rim, she then turned to Gray, crossing the room to meet him. Her eyes remained closed, and she knew that she must be blushing furiously. Stopping in front of the raven haired boy, she thrust out the hand holding the shorts, waiting for him to take them. He did, and she turned quickly away from him, heading back towards the bathroom.

"Don't you dare start fighting again!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, anger coursing through her words. Both boys shuddered and nodded their heads, watching as the still blushing and furious blonde slammed the door behind her.

"Man, she's scary," Natsu muttered, a look of slight horror adorning his face.

"No kidding," Gray agreed, the same expression on his own face.

When Erza and Lucy came back from speaking to the client with Happy trailing behind, both boys were sitting on the floor in a complete silence, looks of depression and fear etched into their features.

* * *

"Alright, so here's the plan."

Erza, Lucy, Preston, Happy, Natsu, and Gray all stood in a circle in the small shack that the town's people had generously lent them. Erza, Lucy, and Happy had returned from talking to the town's mayor about a half an hour ago, and so now they were discussing what to do next.

"So far, all we know is that this demon is of the earth element, and that he is known as Faber. He also only appears at night, meaning that we still have a good six hours to go before he's expected to show. Until then we will be preparing so that we aren't caught off guard, alright?" Erza spoke in an authoritive voice as she sternly gazed at each of them, daring someone to go against what she'd said.

"So, we just wait around here for the demon to attack?" Lucy asked.

"No way! I wanna fight now!" Natsu whined impatiently.

Erza glared at him, whacking him upside the head with her gauntleted hand. "Be patient. Like I said, he only comes out at night, so you'll just have to wait!" she growled.

"Yes 'mam," he muttered deflatedly, rubbing the back of his now sore head.

Erza nodded in satisfaction before turning back to the rest of them. "So, here's what we'll do. When night falls, I want Natsu and Gray to stand behind one of the houses, staying quiet and out of sight. I will be behind the large tree in town square within sight of them so that I may give them a signal of when to come out. Meanwhile, Lucy will remain in the center of town square, out in the open. She will act as bait. When the demon comes, he will immediately go after Lucy. I will then give the signal, and Natsu and Gray will leap out and attack it. I will join them, and by then Lucy will have had enough time to summon one of her spirits to help her. Then we beat the demon, collect our reward, and go home without causing any damage to the town. Got it?"

Everyone stared at the reequip mage as if she were crazy. Finally, it was Lucy who spoke up.

"Um… why am I the bait, exactly?" Lucy asked tentatively, obviously nervous about her role in the plan.

"Because, you're young and you're pretty. Demons like those sorts of things," Erza replied as if it should be obvious.

"Oh, right," Lucy replied, feeling even more nervous than before.

Finally Preston spoke up, a curious look on her face as she asked, "And what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Yeah, me too!" Happy added, flying above the blonde's head.

Erza glanced at them briefly before replying, "You are to hide and stay out of sight. I don't want either of you getting in the way."

"Oh, gee, thanks," Preston muttered, a blank expression on her face. Happy just sighed.

"Alright, so it's settled then. Group dismissed!" Erza ordered, and they all instantly scrambled off, afraid to stick around and take any fury the rather serious mage might give them.

* * *

Preston sat on her own behind one of the buildings in town, her back pressed up against the wall of the small house. There were still hours to go before nightfall, so everyone had basically wandered off on their own. She had found the spot and decided it would be a good place to relax where no one would disturb her.

Closing her eyes, she rested her head back against the wall, closing her eyes and parting her lips as she began to softly sing.

"Come… child, let us sail away now. Come, take my hand… I'll take you away…"

Her voice was soft and melodic, holding an almost hypnotic note, like a siren or a fairy. Her notes were drawn out, and each sentence seemed a mile apart as her song dragged slowly out.

"Feel the wind in your hair… Sing for this day is ours... The horizon our only destiny, and the winds our only companions…"

At that moment, Gray poked his head around the side of the building, wondering where the soft voice was coming from. He'd heard someone singing while walking by a moment before, and had become curious as to whom the beautiful voice might belong to. What he wasn't expecting was to see the crimson-eyed blonde sitting behind the building singing, still oblivious to the fact that he was watching.

"Smile, child you will not miss your home…" she continued to sing, her eyes remaining closed and her body relaxed. "No time to cry, we are leaving now…" She took a deep breath, her chest shaking a little as she began to tremble. Her moment of weakness was soon gone though as she began to sing the next line. "Open your eyes and ears. This voyage will take you far away to enchanted lands, where the magic awaits us faraway…" she trailed off, the song fading away until it seemed to disappear into the air. Gray then watched, shocked, as a single tear rolled down her pale cheek, her eyes still closed and head back. Silently, he then turned, slipping away and leaving her on her own.

* * *

"Okay, is everyone in place?!" Erza called from her place behind a massive tree in the center of the small town.

"Yep!" Natsu shouted back enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" Gray called from behind the building next to the one Natsu was behind.

"Um hmm!" Lucy hummed loudly from her place out in the open of the town square.

"Yes 'mam!"

"Aye, Sir!" Preston and Happy spoke at once from their hiding spot in a group of bushes a good three hundred feet from the others.

"Alright! Now, remember, Natsu and Gray, don't come out until I give you the signal!" Erza called.

"Right! Uh… what was the signal again?!" Natsu asked aloud.

Gray groaned, then replied, "Just run out when I do, Flame-Brain!"

"What was that, Ice Princess?!" Natsu shouted.

"Guys!" Lucy yelled. They both shut up instantly.

"Everybody, quiet! We need to remain still!" Erza shouted, and then everybody settled down, all laughter and silliness gone as they became suddenly serious.

Preston held her breath as she sat back in the bushes, Happy by her side. A twig was poking uncomfortably at her back, but she ignored it, knowing that if she were to move when the demon came then he would find her immediately. _'I just have to stay quiet, stay hidden, and stay out of the way,'_ she thought, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before letting it out again. She felt her nerves calm a little, and she smiled. _'There, that's better.'_ Suddenly there was a loud roar, and she jumped a little in surprise, her eyes widening.

A large creature had appeared before them, standing just outside the town. It had demonic red eyes, and Preston was painfully reminded of her own as she gazed into them. Its skin was a deep red-brown, and it appeared dry and crinkled with age. Long black claws grew from the ends of its four fingers, and dull black scales lined it spine and neck, reaching down to the base of its tail. From there the scales became spikes, fading from black to an aged white, almost yellow. Sharp fangs protruded from its mouth, and it bared them down at the town, its eyes darting back and forth as it searched for its next victim.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy let out a loud scream, hoping to catch the demon's attention. It worked, and a moment later the monster's eyes landed on the trembling blonde. It took a step forward, moving towards Lucy. That's when there was a loud "Now!" from behind the town's largest tree, and Erza, Natsu, and Gray all jumped out.

Preston and Happy watched from the bushes as the mages set into action, building up and releasing their magic as they prepared to fight. Erza reequipped into her Heaven's Wheel armor, Natsu set his fists ablaze, and Gray prepared an ice blast. Meanwhile, Lucy stood behind them, pulling a key off of her belt. A moment later a man with spiky orange hair appeared, fixing his glasses on his nose. Preston growled, recognizing the man as Leo the Lion Spirit. She refrained from saying anything though, deciding that now was not a time to be settling it.

Erza summoned up a group of swords, thrusting forth her hand and sending them towards the demon. He immediately batted them away, though, sending them flying back down towards the ground. The weapons disappeared, and Erza scowled up at the demon in slight frustration. Next, Natsu placed his hands to his mouth, blowing out a tunnel of fire towards the demon. Gray also attempted an attack, sending an ice lance at the creature. Each attack hit its target, although neither seemed to have affected it.

"What the-?! That didn't even scratch it!" Natsu shouted in surprise.

"Oh no," Lucy murmured.

'_Idiots!'_ Preston thought. _'Earth can't be affected by fire and ice! It's invincible to their attacks!'_

Natsu, Gray, and Erza all continued to attack the demon, having little to no effect on it. Preston sat in the bushes biting her lip, her muscles tensed as she itched to jump into the battle; she didn't though, remembering what Wendy had said to her.

"_**Be careful."**_

Preston sighed, knowing very well that Wendy hadn't really been concerned for her safety when she said that, at least not physically. No, she was concerned with something else, and that was why she holding herself back now. As much as the blonde hated it, she knew her sister was right, and so she forced herself to relax, sitting back again.

"Alright, I think that it's time for me to step in," Loke spoke up, stepping forward to take the lead. Placing his left hand over the bicep of his bent right arm, fist clenched and pointed towards the air. "O Regulus… grant me your strength!"

There was a brilliant flash of light, and then Loke had joined the battle. Leaping into the air, he slashed down at the demon, light streaming from his fingers to attack the monster. It seemed to have an effect as the monster stumbled back, an angry roar emitting from its throat.

The beast suddenly whipped around, swinging out its tail. Lucy's eyes widened as she saw it heading in her direction.

"Lucy, watch out!" Erza shouted.

"Luce!" Natsu screamed, panic clear on his face as he realized that he couldn't make it in time to save her.

The blonde closed her eyes, bracing herself for the deadly impact. When it never came, though, she reopened her eyes, surprised to find that she was in the arms of her most trustworthy spirit.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I've got you," Loke said, leaping quickly out of the monster's path of destruction and setting her down on the ground again.

"Thanks, Loke," she thanked him gratefully, relief obvious in her voice as she smiled up at him.

"Hey!" Gray called, aiming another blast at the demon. "Enough flirting! Get your heads in the game!"

"Right," Loke agreed, nodding his head as he prepared himself for another attack.

"We weren't flirting!" Lucy shouted, her face turning red as she tugged her whip from its place on her belt, holding it firmly in her hands.

'_You go get 'em, guys,'_ Preston thought silently, clenching her fists anxiously as she watched from her place in the bushes._ 'I just wish I could help you.'_

Gray and Natsu continued to fire uselessly at the earth demon while Erza and Loke made small progress. Lucy's attacks were proving to be no more useful than the boys'.

"They're not doing so well," Happy whispered nervously, watching the battle with anxious eyes. "Natsu and Gray aren't even hurting it at all."

"I know," Preston replied, biting her lip and examining the battle field. She wished that she had done more research on the monster. She'd never heard of the Demon Faber before, though, and of course she had no way of researching it now. All she had to go off of was prior knowledge of other demons and her own intuition.

'_The Demon Faber is of the earth element, and therefore cannot be harmed by either fire or ice, rendering Natsu and Gray's attacks useless. Its skin appears to be made of a thick membrane, dry and hardened on the surface and giving it the strength of normal scales. The scales along its spine seem to serve as extra protection, allowing it to move easily without the worry of its spine being exposed. After all, while most might think of the stomach as being the weak point, you can live with a stomach injury, not so much with a spine injury, depending on the severity. The spikes of course serve as a type of weapon, along with the claws. Judging by the way its eyes flicker so quickly between objects, it has a poor sense of vision, especially in the dark. Therefore, while it hunts at night, it is not nocturnal. Because of its poor vision, it uses mainly sent and hearing to target its prey. This is proven by the way its nostrils flare, and why it hadn't noticed Lucy, who had stood in plain view, until she had called out to it. Overall, the demon is not exceptionally strong, but still a tough fight for someone who doesn't know what it is they are going up against. Obviously, they don't.'_

She watched as the mages continued to fight against the demon, who didn't seem to be trying at all. The wizards were giving it all they had, but it just wasn't enough. It was obvious that the battle was being fought in vain, and it left Preston feeling uneasy.

'_If they can't defeat it, then what?'_

Happy looked over to see the anxious blonde biting her lip, worry evident in her eyes as she watched the scene unfold before her. "Don't worry, Preston. I'm sure they'll be okay. They're the strongest team in Fairy Tail!"

Preston laughed a little in spite of herself, turning to grin at the blue exceed. "Yeah, I know!" Happy smiled back, glad to have cheered her up a bit.

"Ugh, this isn't working!" Gray shouted, followed soon by a string of curses.

Erza scowled, sliding back in the dust as she was pushed away by the demon's claws. "I don't understand. Why are none of our attacks having any effect?"

"Maybe we need to try hitting it somewhere else?" Lucy suggested, running to stand beside the two.

"I don't care!" Natsu shouted, roaring as he jumped up into the air, his fists aflame as he fell towards the red demon. "I just want to kill this thing!"

The demon roared, swinging its tail side to side as it watched Natsu fall towards it.

"Natsu, watch out!" Lucy suddenly screamed, realizing what the demon had in mind. It was too late though, and the demon's tail swung out, catching Natsu in the chest and throwing him back.

"Natsu!" Erza yelled, her face contorting in anger as she spun to face the demon.

"Loke, get him out of here!" Lucy shouted, waving at the now unconscious dragon-slayer.

"Yes, Princess," he replied, scooping up the salmon haired boy and darting off to the tree that Erza had been hiding behind earlier. Placing him beside it, he then ran back, jumping into battle alongside the other three.

Preston glanced up at the moon, finding it staring back down at her. She could tell by the height that it must be nearly 1 AM, and was surprised to find that they only had four hours left until daylight. _'Hurry up you guys…'_

Erza leapt nimbly through the air, reequipping into her Black Wing Armor, her long scarlet hair coming back into a pony tail and her dress and feathered wings being replaced by a black bathing suit like armor and black demon wings. She flew up into the air, diving towards the demon at a great speed. "Moon Slash!" she shouted, using her sword to cut a cross-like pattern on the demon's chest. She landed behind it, holding an impressive pose as an air of confidence practically radiated off of her.

"Wow!" Lucy stared in awe at the attack, her lips spreading into a wide grin.

"Nice going, Erza!" Gray called, lowering his arms and smiling in victory.

Preston narrowed her eyes, staring at the unmoving demon. It just… stood there. Suddenly she gasped, her eyes widening. Forgetting her cover, she leapt to her feet, cupping her hands to her mouth and shouting at the celebrating mages. "Get down! NOW!"

They turned to stare at her, wondering where the sudden outburst had come from. Suddenly, a long spiked tail came out of nowhere, swiping the three off of their feet. They flew through the air, Lucy's scream prominent as they soared tens of feet into the air. Preston watched in horror as Erza was thrown into the tree, her limbs entangling themselves in the branches as her armor changed back to normal. Gray fell to the ground, rolling in the dust for a few feet before stopping, lying completely still. Lucy was slammed into one of the houses, her back making a sickening crack as it was hit painfully against the wooden surface with great force. She let out a loud cry before falling to the ground, her arms thrown over her face and her breathing barely visible.

"Guys!" Preston cried out, her eyes watering and threatening to tear up.

Loke came running out, his eyes wide as he surveyed the damage. Luckily, he had been standing a few yards away when they were attacked, leaving him unharmed.

"Lucy!" he shouted, turning to see her unconscious body sprawled across the dusty ground. Then remembering the voice he had heard call to them, he turned to stare at the blond haired girl now standing in the bushes. "Preston?" he asked a little more quietly, his voice shaking slightly.

"We don't have time for this, Leo," she scowled, glaring at him before returning her gaze to the vicious demon before them. It seemed to have taken notice of her appearance now, and was shuffling impatiently, snorting and letting out fierce roars.

Preston sprinted out, ignoring Happy's frightened calls. She skid to a halt beside the orange haired lion spirit, her fists clenched at her sides as she stared intently up at the looming demon.

"Just like old times, huh?" Loke snorted, setting himself into a fighting stance.

She smiled a little, her eyes never breaking from their intense gaze. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Raising her arms above her head, Preston closed her eyes, a glowing purple magic circle appearing beneath her feet.

"What the…?" Natsu murmured, his eyes blinking slowly open as he observed the scene before him.

"O Maiden of the Moon, lend me your power and be reborn as the rebel fairy of the moonlight!" the blonde murmured, the moonlight coming down to bend around her body. There was a great flash of light, and she seemed to rise into the air, her body emanating a strange glow.

"No way…" Lucy whispered, her eyes slitting open.

Gray and Erza opened their eyes as well, blinking against the bright light that seemed to have appeared from nowhere. Happy gasped from behind the bushes, his eyes wide, while Loke remained unchanged, his face set and fierce as he glared at the demon standing above him.

The light began to fade, and they all stared at the girl who stood before them, their minds struggling to comprehend what had happened.

"She's a wizard," Erza whispered.

* * *

**A/N – Surprise! XD Okay, come on! How could she be a member of Fairy Tail if she wasn't a wizard?! At least some of you must have expected that! So, I literally pumped this one out right after the other one, and it was way longer than I thought it would be. My last chapter was just under 3,000 words, and this one come pretty close to 4,000, so now my next chapter is going to have to be OVER 4,000. Yay, I'll have fun writing that! X3 So yeah… anyways, thanks for reading! It's much appreciated!**

**I would like to thank everyone who's read this story so far, and especially Bluebearx, who both favorited and followed my story this last chapter, so thank you a whole bunch, I really appreciate it! :3**

**I was was about to update this (like only maybe 5 seconds away from officially posting this chapter) when I got another review! XD That was really some perfect timing! So I would like to thank PikaSkye for their second review, and again, I almost died of joy when I read it! I am so glad that you like this story, and it always makes me happy to hear from you! So thank you so much!**

**The song that Preston was singing in this chapter is called **_**'Faraway'**_**, and it was composed by Nave Artificial, lyrics by Alix S.A, and sung by Mirte. It is a beautiful Celtic song, and strongly suggest that you go check it out. :3**

**Word Count: 3,839**

**Okay guys, so thanks again for reading! I love you guys so much, and I hope you liked it! :3**

**Please don't forget to drop a review! I love them so much, you have no idea. So they are always appreciated! Bye~! 3**

**P.S. I totally just realized that I have been spelling Makarov's name wrong this entire time! XD It's spelt with a K, not a C! Sorry!**


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